My whole Ghana experience with Atlas volunteers has been my favorite travel memory of all time and holds a very special place in my heart. The organization and people in Ghana are the most loving and amazing people that I have ever met and I will cherish them forever. Waking up early in the morning and sitting on the balcony drinking black tea before going to school releases a positive feeling in me that not hold of other things manage to do.
Staff Spotlight: Timna Angermair
Title:
Marketing and Social Media Support
Timna Angermair is a former Atlas volunteer who turned into a staff member mid-way through 2020. As a media and communication student with a focus on marketing and PR, she decided to help out Atlas with its social media channels. That includes taking care of the social media channels and acting as an advisor behind closed doors.
What is your favorite travel memory?
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
Atlas Volunteers gave me my first chance to apply academic knowledge learned at university in real life and we helped each other grow, with each other. In that sense, I feel like I have a better understanding of the social media and marketing NGO field now than I had before. It also helped me understand what it is like for companies trying to get through a pandemic, especially one that relies on traveling so much and cannot reach people momentarily apart from new and social media.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
A lot of other former volunteers have told me that Atlas ruined them in the most positive way possible: Atlas put the standards way too high for any other volunteering program. Furthermore, I know from several volunteers that they are still in contact with people and teachers from Ghana, even after years. I feel like that just shows how great of an impact Atlas and Ghana has on volunteers but also the other way around.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
Well as I have mentioned before I was already a volunteer myself and I would do it over and over again. I was part of the teaching program and while I am not a trained teacher, I was able to help so many kids and bring joy to their boring school day. Going into school every morning and everyone being so incredibly excited to see us made me motivated every day to prepare something nice for the kids. Seeing the kids develop and actually understanding things is the most rewarding feeling ever.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
I think the fact that Atlas is such a small company makes it the most special place ever. It is not like big organizations with an incredible amount of volunteers each year, but it is as if you are joining a family. Everyone knows everyone, everyone eats together and goes out together at night. We all live together and help each other in every possible. The volunteers stay friends even after their time and Ghana and that is not something you get everywhere.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Especially for an NGO, I believe the most important aspect is authenticity and transparency. Especially when the company is not as known or a big corporation, it is important to show people that you can trust them. And the communication and transparency Atlas offers right from the beginning make you feel incredibly safe and welcome.